2. Metropolis at Metrotown – With nearly 400 stores, this is B.C.’s largest shopping centre. It’s just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver by SkyTrain.

3. South Granville– South Granville is a frequently overlooked Vancouver shopping district just over the Granville Street Bridge from downtown. It offers independent clothing boutiques, one-off homeware stores (as well as big chains, like B.C.’s only Williams-Sonoma) and dozens of commercial art galleries, earning it the nickname Gallery Row.

6. Punjabi Market/Little India – South Vancouver is home to one of the city’s largest Indo-Canadian communities and a shopping hub of Indian fashions, beaded bags, loads of jewelry—both real and costume— fabulous fabrics and great authentic Indian food.

8. Granville Island– The heart of Vancouver’s craft and foodie community, Granville Island has a variety of shops selling handmade arts and crafts, First Nations art and collectibles and clothing and jewelry, plus great toys at the Granville Island Kids Market.

9. West 4th Avenue – The original home of Lululemon, West 4th in the Kitsilano neighbourhood is the perfect shopping destination for yoga wear, ski and snowboard equipment, maternity fashion, baby stores, clothes and housewares.

10. Yaletown – The brick warehouses of Yaletown were once part of Vancouver’s industrial heart; these days, they house trendy clothing boutiques and carefully curated interior decorating depots like The Cross.

Inside Vancouver is a multi-author blog, written by Vancouverites about Vancouver. Our goal is to give an insider’s view of Vancouver, to provide information, stories and opinions from the locals’ perspective about this great city.